Long way down
by KyrieEleisonElise
Summary: Karma Akabane and Gakushu Asano meet under unfortunate circumstances one night. (TW for mentions of suicide)
1. Chapter 1

**(Trigger warning this story has some dark themes, pls review)**

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Karma was walking home late one evening. It was already eleven but his parents were never home, so there was nobody to yell at him if he broke curfew, sometimes it was lonely, but he was used to his independence so he didn't want to change anything. He was walking over an old bridge that was empty and didn't even have any street lights. He thought he was all alone but a dark figure caught his eye. There was somebody stood on the top of the railing.

Before Karma could do anything the person leaned forward and jumped of the edge falling silently into the river bellow.

"No!" the red head shouted, he dropped his school bag and ran over. He didn't know who the guy was who'd attempted suicide, but he knew that he had to save him while he still could. Karma quickly threw of his black jacket and looked at the water below; It was black and lurching like some monster, the jumper still hadn't resurfaced. Not caring for his own safety, class E's number 1 delinquent jumped into the water after the first guy.

 _I wont let you die, idiot!_

The water was icy cold but Karma was a trained assassin so he didn't let that bother him. He dived under, it was too dark to see but he could feel another body underneath him. He grabbed it, pulling it to the surface of the water, hooking his hand's under the person's underarms. Then he swam to shore as quickly as he could. The person he'd just rescued was a boy, he seemed to be the same about the same height as him, but it was hard to tell in the river.

Karma dragged the body out of the water, shivering in the cold night's air, but the other boy was completely motionless. For one terrible moment he thought that the boy was dead.

"Hey, are you awake? can you hear me?" Karma asked, he turned the boy around to face him to if he could check if he was breathing. Then he recognized him- It was Asano Gakushu, the number one, the ace, the school's idol, the student council president. Karma didn't believe it a first, there was no way someone as unshakeable as Asano would do this, but there was no doubt this was him. _This guy has everything going for him, why would he try to throw his life away?_ It made Karma mad.

"Asano! wake up you idiot! And thank me for saving you from dying in such a dumb way!" Karma yells, shaking him. Asano doesn't respond, but an empty pill bottle falls out his pocket. _Sleeping pills_. Why? That's what Karma wanted to know. "Asano!"

Asano opened his eyes, they are a bleary violet color, karma feels relieved and angry at the same time. The Ace blinked a few times then his vision seemed to focus. He looked up at Karma then his eye's widening, he pushed the red head away suddenly.

"Akabane! What do you think your doing?"

"That's my question, why'd you do something so dumb as to take a bottle of pills then jump of a bridge." Karma said, "And is that really how you speak to the guy who just saved your life?"

Asano looked at the bridge then at the water then at Karma "I- I didn't!" He spluttered, denying it. He was shaking in the cold.

Karma raised his eyebrow "Okay so why are we both sat here under a bridge soaked?"

"That was- I mean- I fell in on accident, I didn't, I didn't try to- " Asano trailed of, Karma didn't know why he was trying to deny it, they both knew what he'd just tried to do. Karma hid his annoyance, and instead opted to sound more calm.

"Just tell me why- I'm not great at this stuff but I could help." Karma said, he didn't like Asano but he didn't want him jumping of bridges. He'd always thought of him as the flawless ace, total asshole with a type A-personality, basically a robot. But apparently there was more to him than that.

"Didn't I just say it was an accident?" Asano pushed himself out of Karma's hold and stood up looking annoyed. He clearly wasn't going to talk about it. "Thank you for your assistance, I am indebted to you, but don't you dare tell anybody about this, got it?"

"I can't believe your trying to act all bossy in your condition. look at you, you can hardly stand." Karma says he raised a doubtful eyebrow. Asano began walking away on shaky legs he only made it a few steps before he slipped. Seriuosly. the hell was up with this guy?


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews. Some potentially triggering themes in this chapter, idk how the whole triggering things work but whatever.**

 **Review if you have ideas (Because I don't) or want me to write moar!**

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Truthfully, Gakushuu Asano had never meant to put himself in danger.

He first started taking pills last year; Something bought over the internet to help improve concentration. They seemed to work well enough- despite his status as a 'star pupil' Asano was actually fairy easily distracted, especially in lessons were he already knew all the content.

Then third year rolled around and things got more intense; Studying, student council, exams, sports, pressure from his father. Being the perfect pupil meant he didn't have time for being tired after an all-nighter, so he started a new pill- something to help him stay awake.

It was a small white pill that prevented him from sleeping, he bought it over the internet and it was even more powerful than coffee.

 _It's only temporary until the work-load lessened._ He always told himself, as he knocked back a pill before he left for school. The all-nighters left his body feeling exhausted, but his mind was always wide-awake thanks to the medication- it felt like an electric current wired through his brain, keeping him for falling asleep. He was constantly artificially awake,

Dark circles grew under Asano's eyes, his skin became paler- but so long as he kept turning in results, and working above average, he knew his classmates and teachers wouldn't notice, and certainly not his father.

But being on the pills left him feeling _too_ awake. He couldn't sleep even when he wanted to. He felt himself becoming more irritable, and suspicious verging on paranoid. His blood pressure was too high. It was getting hard to concentrate again.

Asano would lie in bed, staring at the ceiling, a million half-brocken thought running through his head, unable to sleep, a strange sense of anxiety running through him;

 _There's so much I need to be doing I can't just lie here I have_ _to study and make a lesson-plan for the tutoring session and there's a sports match with another school I need to prepare for and the student council is running an assembly next week and-_

His grades started slipping a little in class. His father noticed and called him out on it. Gakushuu knew that something must be done about it.

So then Asano started on a third pill- Lorazepam. To help with relaxation and sleep. His life was ruled by chemicals; He needed a pill to wake up, and a pill to fall asleep.

His emotions became blunted and numb, he'd sit in class feeling more like a robot than a person. He didn't really feel anything other than a sheer determination to make it through the day, and complete all his tasks. As long as he could be the perfect student, nothing else mattered ( _if he couldn't do that, people would no longer admire him, they'd look upon him with disdain_ ).

To make sure the pills kept working, Asano had to take more and more as the weeks went by as he built up a resistance to them- One, two, five, six. When did he start loosing track? He started to loose track of memories- he'd suddenly be sat in the class and have no recollection of coming to school that day. At one point he was sat at the train station for two hours without realizing were he was. That was when he knew he had to stop.

It was easier said than done, stopping the pills. He tried cutting back first, but it was difficult- he could no longer function without them. The impulse to pop another pill was too strong. After a week of on and off again quitting he felt he ill, always moments away from fainting.

That day, he'd come home late from school; He had to stay after school to run a student council meeting, then afterwords he had to discuss the meeting with his father.

"And that's why the student council have decided to- " Asano started, but he trailed off, his mind drawing a blank and his words failing him. _Why Can't I think! This never happens to me! Never!_ His father raised an eyebrow at him, his expression was, as usual, unreadable, but Gakushuu could feel the judgement radiating off him.

"Decided to what?" The Chairman said, lacing his fingers together, disdain in his voice.

"To hold a fundraising event to gain publicity and promote the schools 'altruistic' side." Asano said, finally finding the words and trying to continue along as if that little faux pas had never happened. He narrowed his eyes- Was his father's office always this dark and fuzzy? It was getting hard to see. He felt as if he were standing underwater, a ripple of nausea ran through him. He concentrated on not being sick on the expensive carpet

"I worry about the state of my school if the student council president can't even adequately relay a meeting to the Chairman." His father said, a half-smile on his face. Asano felt an unfamiliar shame of failure. He clenched his fists.

"I think I relayed the meeting quite adequately, _sir_." He said, with more venom than necessary. It was harder to see his father now- his form seemed to blend in with the shadows in the room.

"You think? Well, I suppose this information will have to do. You are dismissed." The Chairman said, curtly. Asano just nodded, and walked out quickly, forcing himself to walk upright and not betray any of the weakness he felt.

 _I still have a presentation for class I need to complete!_ Asano remembered suddenly. He'd been trying to wean himself off the pills, but he was too exhausted to do any work without them. Quickly, he knocked back a hanfull of 'stay awake' pills. He didn't even need water anymore.

When he put the empty pill bottle back in his pocket, he didn't realise that in his moment of confusion, he'd taken the sleeping tablet instead.

Half an hour later, Asano was walking zombie-like through the city. He felt as if his brain was shutting down, coherent thought was turning off. It had become dark without him realizing. The teen made it to a bridge in a part of town he couldn't recognise at the moment. His head confused from the pills, he stared down- The dark water silently rippling beneath him looking so calm and tranquil, like a great black mass ready to swallow him whole. He took a strange comfort in watching it.

Rational thought abandoned, he leaned on the railing to look closer. And in that moment, he slipped.

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"You're an idiot." Karma told Asano, after the other boy had told him his story. (Although it hadn't been easy to get it out off him). The two of them were sat in the red head's house after he had practically dragged the blond home. The story had horrified him- Asano had a reputation as invincible, but apparently even he could get in over his head.

"You don't need to tell me that." Gakushuu said, scowling. He was wearing some of Karma's clothes now, luckily they were the same size.

"If you need to take pills to keep up all the work your doing then you need to cut back on the amount of work." The red head said. "What's the point of working hard if its making you miserable?"

"If I don't do it then I'll look like a failure to people. They'll think I'm incompetent. They'll loose faith in me." Asano said, as if that was the worst thing in the world. By _they_ he mostly just meant his father.

"Who cares about pleasing everybody?" Karma said flippantly, rolling his eyes. Asano glanced at him as he spoke. "If they need you to be some kind of perfect machine just to be pleased then fuck em' that's what I say!"

Gakushuu actually chuckled at that- Karma looked at him, surprised.

"That is such an E-Class thing to say." The student council president said, a small genuine smile on his face briefly. Karma pulled out the half-empty bottle of 'stay awake' tablets from the wet pile of Asano's clothes.

"Either way. No more pills." The red head said, with conviction. Asano's smile dropped.

"The problem was just that I was taking too many! If I cut down it will be fine!" The blond said, an edge of desperation in his voice. Karma frowned.

"You really are an addict." He said. Asano didn't know why he was so bothered by the disappointment in his voice.

"I'm not! It just got out of hand. I know my limits now. I know how many I can take. This wont happen again!" Gakushuu said. Until now, he didn't realise how afraid he was about living without chemically induced sleep and wakefulness.

"No more pills." Karma repeated, his amber eyes harsh. Then a devious grin grew on his face. "You want to keep you little accident quiet, _right?_ The only way I'm willing to co-operate with that is if you give up on popping pills. I'll be checking, don't think you'll be able to hide it from me."

Asano's scowl deepened, glaring at the red head before him. "Akabane you- "

"- Listen, either you agree, or I'm getting you some kind of professional help." Karma said- he wasn't saying it out of spite. He was genuinly worried for the other's lack of regard for his own saftey. But for some reason, he wanted to try help first before he got others involved.

"Fine." Asano said, with a defeated sigh. He would give anything to keep this quiet and not be labeled an 'addict' or 'mentally ill' or anything else that carried such a painful stigma. Still though. He had no idea why Akabane would want to help him to such an extent? Why didn't Karma just leave him? Asano knew he wasn't Akabane's problem.

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 **I made Asano a drug addict WHATT HAVE I DONE? But for real, mental illness can happen to anybody, thats what is so scary about it, it isn't an 'us' and 'them' thing, mental illness is on a gradient.**

 **Should this story be platonic or romantic? Should Asano and Karma end up as friends or more let me know.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all the reviews! I'm glad so many of you enjoyed the story :) This update took months but I hope you enjoy it!**

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"Thank you for your hospitality, Akabane. I have to say, I'm slightly surprised there was no wasabi in my drink." Gakushuu said a cold tone of formality in his voice. He stood up suddenly from the table they were sat at. "I suppose I'll see you around- "

And with that he turned to leave. Karma was up like a bolt, grabbing Asano's wrist and pulling him back.

"You aren't going off by yourself in that condition." The red head commanded. _Seriously? What was up with the world? Wasn't Asano supposed to be the sensible honours student and Karma the irresponsible delinquent? So why am **I** the one stopping **him** from getting into trouble?_

"I'm fine." Asano bit back, his amethyst eyes flashing with anger at the mere insinuation that he wasn't invincible and strong.

"You almost died." Karma stated, he rolled his eyes and dragged Asano over to the sofa and pushing him down onto it, forcing him to sit.

"Get off!" Asano hissed, but he clearly didn't have the energy to put up much of a fight. His normally strong self was depleted of power after nearly overdosing and drowning. His struggles felt weak in Karma's grip. Karma didn't like it. It made him realise how fragile Asano was at the moment, as much as he would like to deny it.

"Those pills have really messed you up." Karma stated, pulling Asano back down into a sitting position on the sofa as he tried to stand up, for emphasis. He expected Gakushuu to snap back, but instead he glared at the floor, his cheeks burning red in shame. "So you want to carry on taking them even though they leave you like this."

"Like I said I just need to cut down- " Asano started to say, but was suddenly cut off when Karma practically threw him down so Asano was lying on his stomach, face pressed into the cushions of the couch. Karma felt a flare of anger as the other took his life so lightly. How could he be such an idiot? It pissed Karma off.

"Look at yourself." Karma growled, placing a knee on Asano's back and pressing just hard enough to keep him down. Gakushuu let out a grunt of frustration, and swung for him, but Karma caught his wrist easily.

"You're so weak. I could do anything I want with you- "

"I am not weak!" Asano growled, but after the events of today, just fighting against Karma increased his exhaustion ten-fold. His muscles ached, and his eyes itched with tiredness, it was a struggle just to keep them open.

"Oh really? Then why can I throw you around like a rag-doll? How stupid are you to even think about risking your life again?" Karma scoffed, still fuelled by feelings of anger. He was about to continue his tirade, but then he realised that Asano had stopped struggling under him, and his breathing had slowed.

 _No way._

Karma slowly climbed off Asano, and glanced down at him.

"Asano?" He said aloud. No response. But Karma could hear him breathing. Asano had actually fallen asleep. Karma felt his anger dissipate at the pure craziness of the situation at hand. He supposed it made sense considering Asano had taken a large dose of pills and hadn't slept in a while.. but still. _To fall asleep in the middle of a fight?_

Karma glanced at the other, his face finally looking relaxed and at peace in slumber, his dark eyelashes dusting his cheeks. When he was like that it was easy to forget how ruthless Asano could be. Karma would never admit it out loud, but Asano's self-destructive streak reminded him of himself, before the Assassination classroom. Back when he threw himself off a cliff to kill Korosensei. Karma pulled a blanket off another sofa and threw it over Asano. Seriously. He was going to tease Asano relentlessly for this tomorrow.

 _Tomorrow._

After tonight, what would he do? _How would he alone help Asano? Was he even capable?_

Right on que, he heard a tapping at the window. Already fairly certain who it was, Karma walked over and opened it.

"Yo, Sensei." He said, no longer surprised at the sight of his yellow octopus teacher hanging around outside.

"Karma! I had a sudden feeling that you may be looking for advice." Korosensei said. His ability to somehow discern whenever one of his students were in need was uncanny. Karma still didn't fully understand it.

"I guess you could say that- " Karma said, glancing behind at Asano passed out on the couch, before looking back at his teacher. He had no doubt that Korosensei had more or less worked the situation out for himself. "I want to help someone but.. I'm not sure I don't know if I can do it."

Karma felt the heat rise to his cheeks as he spoke. Because after all, 'helping people' was not something that a hard-hearted delinquent like Karma was known for. Admitting it made him feel strangely shy. But luckily, for once, Korosensei didn't tease him for blushing.

"Karma, you've found yourself in a difficult situation. Nobody would blame you for looking to outside help." Korosensei said, with that calm tone of his. "However, if you want to try help him yourself, I'll support you."

Karma gave his teacher a small smile. He didn't say ' _thank you_ ' out loud, but they both knew he was thinking it.

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Everything hurt. Asano's limbs ached, he felt like he'd been kicked in the ribs, his throat felt dry and scratchy and he head a throbbing head ache. Asano had, of course, never experienced a hangover before, but he would imagine it would feel something like this. Slowly Asano sat up and looked around, his head spinning, then realised with a jolt of shock that this wasn't his room, and he had no idea were he was.

It appeared to be somebody's living room. It was very finely furnished with two long cream sofas, and plush red carpet. Out the window, he could see a few weak rays of light, and the sun hanging low in the sky; It must be very early morning since it was still half dark. Just what the hell had happened last night? He remembered a meeting with his father at the school, but after that it was all just blank.

Carefully, he pulled himself off the sofa and felt another stab of pain in his ribs. Tentatively, he lifted the shirt he was wearing (which he was fairly certain wasn't his own), and peered down. It was as he had feared; His rib cage was marred with ugly black and purple bruising all down the side. Almost like he'd smacked into something. But what?

"So sleeping beauty finally awakens." A familiar voice said, and Gakushuu turned to see Karma Akabane standing in the doorway to the room, a smirk on his face. "I was starting to think that you'd slipped into a coma."

"Akabane! What are you doing here?" Gakushuu asked, his eyes darting around the room. Karma raised an eyebrow.

"Well this is my house." Karma said, looking slightly amused as he looked Gakushuu up and down, taking in his appearance. "You're being rather rude to your host; especially after how nice I was to you yesterday after your accident."

"Accident..?" Gakushuu questioned, when suddenly fragments of memories came rushing back to him; Falling off the bridge, Akabane pulling him out the water, telling Akabane about his 'medication'. He felt mortified. _What had he done?_ How could he have shown such a weak side of himself to someone he considered a rival.. Akabane could easily take advantage and blackmail him now. But what was even more terrifying was the realisation that he had almost killed himself. If Akabane hadn't been there, that little mistake might of cost him his life.

"Hello? Did you get brain damage?" Karma said, waving his hand in front of Asano's face. It took Gakushuu a moment to work out that he'd been staring into space. He swallowed, pushing those difficult thoughts to the back of his mind.

"Where is my stuff?" Asano asked, acting as if everything was normal and nothing crazy had happened. "I need to get home before 10 am I have somewhere I need to be."

"Hmm? Well it's a little late for that." Karma said, pulling out his phone to show the time. "It's nearly 4pm."

"What!?" Gakushuu gasped- How the hell had he slept for so long? It had been more than twelve hours! Rationally, he knew that taking a hand full of sleeping pills when you were already exhausted and sleep-deprived is probably what lead him to that consequence. "I need to go home- I need to apologise for missing that meeting- "

He headed towards the door, only to be struck by another wave of dizziness. He felt Karma place a hand on his shoulder.

"Go drink some water and have a shower first. In case you forgot, you haven't had anything to drink in fifteen hours, and you stink of the river." He said. It wasn't a request, it was a command.

Gakushuu despised being told what to do, but even he couldn't argue with Karma's logic, infuriating as it was. "Fine- where's the bathroom?"

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"My phone is broken." Gakushuu said mournfully as he plucked the device out of his pile of still-wet clothes, after showering and changing into another set of Karma's clothes.. He kept pressing the on-button but the screen remained blank.

"That tends to happen when you submerge it in water." Karma said snidely, as he pulled on his shoes.

"Shut up, Akabane." Gakushuu retorted, although his voice was lacking it's usual venom. He put his stuff in a plastic bag and walked towards the door. Karma followed.

"Let's go then."

"I can walk myself home, you know, I'm not a complete invalid." Asano snarled. Karma just chuckled, still following him.

"You remember our deal, right? I won't tell anyone about this so long as you stop taking pills. So we're going to go to your room and throw them out!" Karma said gleefully. Damn. Asano thought. He looks as though he enjoys having the upper hand.

"Why are you even doing this, Akabane. What do you care if something happens to me?" Gakushuu said. After all, the two of them had hardly spoke to one another. They had never been in the same class together, and there always seemed to be a mild sense of animosity between them.

That question caught Karma off guard. _'Because I don't want you to be hurt.' 'Because I know how it feels to be in a desperate situation.'_ _'Because if I save you, maybe I can save myself.'_

All these thoughts sprung to Karma's head, but he squashed them down. Because the delinquent Karma Akaben wouldn't admit to something like that- instead he just smirked and said.

"Well, since for some reason you're insanely popular, if anything were to happen to you, the whole school would probably go into mourning, and it would be all anyone would talk about. It would be super annoying." Karma said with a lazy shrug. He expected Asano to snap at him again, but instead he just burst out laughing. Apparently the guy had a pretty dark sense of humour.

 _Well, that was unexpected_. It was a nice sound, Karma couldn't help but wish he'd get to here it more often.

"You might be right on the mark there, Akabane." Asano said, a sardonic grin on his face.

"You act all prim and proper but you're actually pretty twisted, aren't you?" Karma teased. Asano didn't have a response to that, so he just walked ahead.

Pretty soon they reached Asano's house. It was big. Even bigger than Karma's house and that was saying something. It was a large white building with solar panels across the roof, and a fancy looking car outside. But the atmosphere around it was cold somehow, and the air seemed stagnated and thick with tension.

Asano walked up to the front door, putting his key in and opening it, Karma followed. Before they even had a chance to take off their shoes, a figure suddenly darted forwards and grabbed Asano by the shoulders.

It was the Chairman. He didn't look like his usual composed self, quite the opposite, in fact. His normally perfectly styled hair was disheveled and falling into his face. His parlour was even paler than usual, and his violet eyes looked on the brink of madness.

 _ **"Where the hell have you been!?"**_

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 _ **Thats the end of the chapter! Sorry if the characters seem OOC, but I'm writing them in a situation they wouldn't normally be in, so their reactions may be different from usual. Plus Gakushuu is still effected by the pills he's been taking.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed reading it, anyhow! Please review if you want me to write more. Let me know if you have any ideas!**_

 _ **There has been about a fifty/fifty divide between people who want it to be friendship, and others who want romance, but I have decided to just write whatever feels natural to me, so there may be romance if I can make it work well with the story.**_


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